Strategy
"Strategy" is the third episode of Series 5 of Peaky Blinders and the twenty seventh episode overall. It aired on September 1, 2019. Synopsis Tommy gathers the Peaky Blinders to discuss recent tragic events and to give his orders. The Shelby boys travel to London to meet Mosley, and it’s soon revealed who has the upper hand. At Arrow House, Linda visits Lizzie to ask her advice, and Polly visits Aberama to pass on Tommy’s instructions. Meanwhile, Tommy learns that one of the Peaky Blinders is in danger and sends Arthur and Johnny Dogs on an urgent mission to intervene. Plot At St. Hilda's Orphanage, Tommy and Polly meet with the sisters in charge to discuss the recent events that have unfolded at the orphanage. Tommy reveals that the children have spoken to the Peaky Blinders about the mistreatment of the children in their care, including the child that hanged herself in fear of the sisters fury. Tommy threatens the sisters, withdrawing the funding given by the Grace Shelby Foundation, while Polly reveals that all children will be taken into Shelby Company institutions. At Charlie’s yard, Tommy instructs the Shelby family to ready for a trip to London to meet with a person of interest. Michael initially refuses, citing that he must take Gina to the hospital, however is rebuked by Tommy who suggests he cancel the appointment and have Ada take her instead. Michael scorns but is warned by Polly to take Tommy’s wrath until he has proven himself, then the brothers will suffer her wrath. Tommy takes Arthur and Michael to a meeting with Oswald Mosley, who he warns is the devil and is not to be trusted. During the meeting, Tommy questions Mosley about the various men he has been meeting over the last year, including Jimmy McCavern, however Mosley denies having met with any of these men, but would like Tommy to help him out some day in the future. Mosley angers Arthur, revealing that he has heard word that Linda is sleeping with another man, however Tommy insists that Arthur ignore the man, as he is trying to get inside his head. He also reveals that Mosley has invited him to be his deputy in a new political party. At Tommy’s house, Linda opens up to Lizzie about a solicitor she has been seeing about the possibility of divorcing Arthur, however when he found out she was a Shelby, he was suddenly busy. Lizzie reveals that to divorce a Shelby they must go to London, where they are less fearful of the Peaky Blinders, however she admits that if she were to divorce Arthur for another man — to which she reveals she has found a man with a daughter who is recently a widow — Tommy would kill him, then perhaps invite his daughter to live in his orphanage or perhaps in the family. Having been caught up in Shelby business, Ada leaves Karl under the supervision of Ben, however tensions arise when Karl begins questioning the racism and antisemitism in his class at school. This then turns personal, as Karl tells Ben that he does not want him to be his father, as his father is both white and in heaven, much to Ben’s surprise. Meanwhile, having visited Aberama in the hospital, Polly breaks him out of his room to stay with his sister. She warns him to let Tommy deal with the men responsible for killing Bonnie, however he seemingly ignores the advice, citing that he has dealt death and now death has been dealt to him; he remarks that he has one more person to kill and then he will be done, and hands Polly a rose for her birthday. When he leaves Polly’s car, he asks his sister to contact the Fury family and get his rifle ready to depart for Scotland immediately. Michael, Tommy and Arthur meet with Ben, who wishes to meet alone without Michael or Arthur. Tommy dismisses Michael, who is angry, noting that by the end of the year, the business between Tommy and him will be done. Michael scoffs when Tommy questions if he is after his throne, citing that there are doctors in London who can help Tommy with his problems. After Michael leaves, Tommy shows Ben the letter from Mosley, asking him to show his superior, however Ben is initially weary, but is convinced to pass the letter up the chain to his superior, who is a known associate of Mosley. Meanwhile, Tommy returns home to find Johnny Dogs sleeping with Sandra, one of the maids. He dismisses Sandra, before questioning Johnny’s actions. Johnny reveals that he has heard word that Aberama has left Birmingham to deal with the Billy Boys. This angers Tommy, who has warned Aberama to leave the business to him. He sends Johnny Dogs and Arthur to find Aberama and bring him home. After an unsuccessful meeting with Jessie Eden, Tommy returns home to find Lizzie waiting in bed. He questions the phone call Lizzie made earlier, with Lizzie admitting that she called a solicitor, but put the phone down and decided to stay with Tommy. She warns Tommy that he does not sleep with anyone before or after holding their child, nor under their roof. In return, Tommy tells Lizzie that she is his property and she does not sleep with anyone else. Tommy calls Arthur, revealing the information he has acquired about Linda, pleading him to bring back Aberama Gold from Scotland. Arthur refuses, however until Tommy reveals Linda’s location, which he does not long after, requesting that Arthur does not do anything rash to the man. After the call ends, Lizzie questions who he was on the phone to, with Tommy citing that if you marry a Shelby you stay married. Arthur visits the man who he suggests is hiding Linda, asking for her location. The man refuses, revealing that Linda does not want to see him, and Arthur beats the man, before slicing him with his cap. He proclaims that he is a good man, but his hands belong to the devil. After, Charlie questions why he is going to Scotland and whether it is where Linda is, however he does not reply, but asks for weapons, petrol and whisky for their journey. Aberama and the Furys pose as road workers when the Billy Boys arrive demanding that they hand over all of their tools, tar and vehicle and move on, as they are now under the control of the Billy Boys. However one of the Billy Boy’s notices Aberama, and a fight ensures, ending with Aberama pouring tar over the man in order to send a message to Jimmy McCavern about his upcoming death. Aberama reveals that he has a bullet with McCavern carved on it and will soon use it. Meeting with Mosley, Tommy questions him about the new political party he is about to set up and when it will become an official party. Afterwards, Tommy calls Ben Younger questioning if his actions as an informant against Mosley are sanctioned by the Crown. Following Aberama’s actions against the Billy Boys, they assemble a small army and hunt him down after Arthur lets his location slip, giving him no choice but to leave for Birmingham with him. The Billy Boys arrive at the camp, to find it explode before their eyes, McCavern laughs, remarking that it is war between the Peaky Blinders and Billy Boys. Cast *Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby *Helen McCrory as Polly Gray *Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby *Sophie Rundle as Ada Thorne *Finn Cole as Michael Gray *Natasha O'Keeffe as Lizzie Stark *Kate Phillips as Linda Shelby *Anya Taylor-Joy as Gina Gray *Packy Lee as Johnny Dogs *Brian Gleeson as Jimmy McCavern *Harry Kirton as Finn Shelby *Annabelle Wallis as Grace Shelby (Hallucination) *Aidan Gillen as Aberama Gold *Sam Claflin as Oswald Mosley *Callum Booth-Ford as Karl Thorne *Alison Todd as Sandra *Douglas Rankine as Billy Boys Leader Soundtrack Trivia *This episode marks Polly Gray's 45th Birthday. Quotes Gallery References Category:Series 5